When most people think of Prague, art and architecture come to mind – not shopping and fashion. While Prague does have a fair amount of shopping malls and department stores, the malls have only recently started to multiply over the last several years. Most locals would agree that Prague is not considered a shopper’s paradise like New York or Los Angeles, but the shopping scene has improved since the early 1990’s.

Many of the city’s department stores are dreary, but the malls are mostly lively, and somewhat busy most days of the week. The busiest shops seem to be Prague’s souvenir and specialty shops, however. This may give you an idea of Prague’s attitude towards (excessive amounts of) shopping – most stores are closed on Christmas Eve – one of the busiest (and craziest) shopping days in the United States – and some even close during the lunch hour and on weekends. What the?

Anyway, if you’re looking for men’s fashions and a place to people watch, skip the department stores and head straight to the mall. Prague has several attractive malls worth mentioning including: Palac Flora (120 shops & restaurants), Novy Smichov (150 shops & restaurants), Slovansky dum (Slavic House) over a dozen shops, Metropole Zlicin (more than 120 shops & restaurants), and Cerna ruze or Black Rose (50 shops & restaurants). While you’re not likely to find anything out of the ordinary at these malls, the architecture and interior design can be quite interesting, the restaurants and cafes are tasty, and most of the malls have excellent movie theaters. Expect to find the usual suspects in these malls such as Adidas, ECCO, Levi’s, Nautica, Mexx, Miss Sixty, Quicksilver, Tommy Hilfiger, Cerruti Jeans, and Beltissimo.

Looking for shoes? Prague does have several high-end shoe stores available if you’re interested. They are: Bat’a, Humanic, Leiser, and Vagabond.

If you need something to help inspire you to shop, here are a few tips about Tax-Free shopping in Prague. If you see a “Tax-Free” sign, and you are a non-EU tourist, you are eligible for Tax-Free shopping and you can save up 14% of the purchase price. If you don’t see the Tax-Free sign, it’s still worth it to ask an employee before you start shopping. Additionally, you have to spend 2,000 CZK or more (that’s around $109 USD) in each shop (during the course of one day) to enjoy Tax-Free shopping.

Here’s how it works:

Pay for your items first, then claim the tax back when you leave the country:

When paying for your items at the time of check out, ask an employee for a Tax Free shopping voucher.

Present the voucher to a Czech customs official within 30 days of the date of purchase to get a stamp. You can also do this at Prague Airport when you leave. The office is located BEFORE passport control.

Hand the voucher in AFTER passport control to one of the Duty Free Shops. They will then refund your VAT, minus their commission.

Prague Shopping Web Guide

For more information about shopping in Prague, visit any of the websites or guides below.

City of Prague Tourism
The City of Prague website features a section for tourists called “Prague Information Service.” Here, you can find out about everything Prague has to offer including nightlife, restaurants, accommodations, shopping, transportation, museums and monuments, and much more! You can also find out about ways to save on admission prices across the city, and view photos of various sites and attractions.

Prague.com
This is a great website offering tons of information about attractions, restaurants, nightlife, art and culture, recreation, shopping, casino, news, and just about everything else that’s happening in and around Prague. You can also check out weather reports, maps, and transportation, as well as book hotel reservations, flights, hire a car, and more.

Pragueexperience.com
Find out about the best places to dine, sleep, party, shop, and explore. This online travel guide also features information about opera in Prague, sightseeing trips, deals on hotels and apartments, and a section dedicated to stag weekends.

W Cities
Excellent place to find out about events and sightseeing tours around Prague as well as information on dining, shopping, hotels, recreation, attractions, and nightlife.

Fodors.com
Fodors.com features summaries of places to see, eat, drink, and sleep in and around Prague. If you want a quick list of the top spots in Prague, you’ll find it here.

Frommers.com
Frommers.com features summaries of places to see, eat, drink, and sleep in and around Prague. If you want a quick list of the top spots in Prague, you’ll find it here.

LonelyPlanet.com
Lonely Planet features background information and fast facts about Prague, as well as places to see, drink, and eat. The site also features an image gallery, and shopping and travel tips.

VirtualTourist.com
Read reviews from people just like you that have been to the places you want to go. Expect to find raw reviews (and opinions) on just about everything from restaurants and nightlife to hotels, shopping, and sightseeing.

TripResource.com
This is an excellent resource for international travel information. You can find the best deals on Prague hotels, airfare, car rentals, and more. You can also find information about Prague weather, currency, passport information, exchange rates, and more.